Give winter-weary rooms a spring point of view

Photo courtesy of John Edward Linden/Arcaid.co.ukContemporary furniture can be more adaptable than traditional pieces to changes in room layout.

Spring is a time for renewal, not only of gardens but of some interior spaces as well. As the seasons change, so do focal points and that can require new furniture layouts.

Q. We spend much of our time in winter gathered around the fireplace of our contemporary-style townhouse.

In spring and summer, however, we enjoy looking through the large sliding glass doors to our garden. Every year, this shift in orientation involves the cumbersome rearrangement of a pair of upholstered love seats as well as two lounge chairs that flank the fireplace more. Since we're about to buy some new furniture, we'd like to know your thoughts on what sort of contemporary, movable pieces might be appropriate for both situations.

A. It's interesting that you specify contemporary pieces, given that the furniture you currently have would probably be described as traditional. In any event, you'll be pleased to know that contemporary furniture is generally lighter than traditional, not only in color but also in weight. In the sort of less formal settings often associated with contemporary design, the seating pieces in a conversation grouping don't need to be paired. You can therefore purchase non-matching chairs of different forms.

Such a grouping can be seen in the accompanying photo, which comes from the Vendome Press book, "Glass House Building for Open Living." Author Nicky Adams shows many possibilities for living comfortably in architectural spaces of the sort you seem to have.

As this layout suggests, larger upholstered pieces in contemporary styling would also be suitable for flanking a fireplace. Keep in mind that while they don't have to be identical in appearance, they should be similar in size and function.

Here you can see part of a sofa with a full back and arms that's facing a chaise longue with a partial low back, one arm and a couple of cushions arranged for comfort. The structure of the chaise allows for a complete and easy view of the garden. A user also has the option of either lying back or perching on this piece. The modern swivel chair and ottoman designed 60 years ago by George Nelson offers versatility as well as comfort. Someone sitting on it can focus on the garden or pivot toward a conversation partner.

You could also choose smaller versions of all these pieces, depending on the size of your room. A seating group always needs a large unifying element, in my opinion. None is visible in the photo, but this arrangement could surely accommodate a fairly sizable coffee table. Again, depending on the dimensions of your space, it might be possible to keep such a piece in one location even as you move the others on a seasonal basis. Alternately, smaller occasional tables could be introduced to serve both aesthetic and functional purposes.

Readers with general interior design questions for Rita St. Clair can e-mail her at rsca@ritastclair.com.